On March 5, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a nomination hearing for Dr. Jayanta (Jay) Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In his opening testimony, Dr. Bhattacharya listed five concrete goals he would like to accomplish if confirmed by the Senate: solve the nation’s chronic disease crisis; ensure that research funded by NIH was replicable, reproducible, and generalizable; guarantee a culture of free speech and dissent within the agency; fund the most innovative research agenda possible; and regulate “risky” research that has the potential to lead to a pandemic. The hearing, led by Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), covered a wide range of topics including the need to address public mistrust in scientific research, support for research on chronic diseases, and recent executive actions that have implications for the biomedical research enterprise. Chairman Cassidy specifically had a long dialogue with Dr. Bhattacharya over the public mistrust that fuels the associations between vaccines and autism. Chairman Cassidy was very focused on ensuring Dr. Bhattacharya would work to build that trust and dispel the misconceptions. Overall, Democrats expressed concern for the grant pauses at NIH that have followed mass firings at the agency, proposed caps on indirect costs, and other executive actions related to biomedical research. On the other side of the aisle, Republicans praised Dr. Bhattacharya as a leading opponent of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and a staunch advocate for the innovation generated by early career researchers and other disruptors of the status quo.
Recent executive actions led to indirect costs and NIH staffing to be a leading topic of the hearing on both sides of the aisle. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) asked Dr. Bhattacharya about his view on the importance of supporting indirect research costs and if he would reverse the Administration’s decision to put a one-size-fits-all 15 percent cap on indirect costs. Dr. Bhattacharya explained that he views indirect costs as a tip and is unsure of how or where indirect costs are allocated. Additionally, Senator Collins highlighted that the modification of indirect costs is prohibited, as is written in the fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill. Dr. Bhattacharya responded that if appointed he would follow the law and work with university General Counsels to ensure concerns about indirect costs are addressed. When asked about NIH staff firings and mass layoffs, Dr. Bhattacharya answered he was not involved in those personnel decisions and if appointed would ensure all scientists have the resources they need to conduct their research.
Throughout the hearing, Dr. Bhattacharya emphasized his desire to focus part of NIH funding on understanding the causes of chronic disease and expressed his alignment with the newly established Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission and the Administration’s shared priorities in addressing the burden of chronic disease. Many senators appreciated Dr. Bhattacharya’s prioritization of chronic diseases, including Chairman Cassidy who recognized that many of his constituents are impacted by chronic disease. When asked if he believed it would be possible to prioritize both chronic and infectious disease within the NIH research portfolio, Dr. Bhattacharya acknowledged that it would be.
Dr. Bhattacharya is likely to be advanced by the HELP Committee and confirmed with a full Senate vote in the coming weeks. Lewis-Burke will follow up once those votes are scheduled.